In an injury-riddled 2020-21 season, the Los Angeles Lakers received an injection of life and energy when they signed Andre Drummond after he was bought out by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Right away, Drummond won over the Lakers organization with his attitude as he was focused on doing what was asked of him. The center was immediately inserted into the starting lineup and showed how he could help Los Angeles with his rebounding and ability to run the floor in transition.
It is unfortunate Drummond’s time with the Lakers ended so soon as the organization did not get a chance to see his full potential playing alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis. However, Drummond did note that he wants to run it back with the team and cited James as a highlight of his year during a livestream on the Lakers Central Instagram:
“It was an incredible time in my career to have this opportunity to play with LeBron James instead of against him. Hopefully things go the right way and we’ll try to run it back again.”
Most of the Lakers players in their exit interview have echoed Drummond’s sentiments about wanting to come back, but Drummond singling out James is notable given that the two were only able to play a handful of games together. The 27-year-old was forced to play most of the season without James or Davis and thus was forced into a larger role than originally anticipated, but there is optimism the trio could be special if given the proper time.
Drummond previously called his short stint with the Purple and Gold an incredible time, but that does not guarantee he will be back. The Lakers will have several tough decisions to make on their players, so it will be interesting to see how much keeping Drummond is a priority.
Drummond not signing for veteran’s minimum
The Lakers will have limited resources in free agency to improve the roster, so the front office will likely need to fill it out using veteran minimum contracts. A fan suggested that Drummond re-sign with for the minimum, but the center ripped the comment.
Even though centers are easier to replace, Drummond will command more than the veteran minimum in free agency. If Los Angeles wants to keep him, they will probably have to use their taxpayer mid-level exception, though that would be a questionable move with so many other holes to fill.
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